Be Here
by Man of the Dark
Summary: Warren decides to give Nathan a chance, and from the start, the two grow closer. Will they manage to stay together despite the odds stacking against them?
1. The Catalyst

Warren was leaning back against the hood of his car, fingers moving at the speed of light, wide-eyed and grinning. He was texting his crush, Max, and waiting in joyful anticipation at her arrival.

 _Hi Mx, can you get my flash drive?_

 _I need some info. And space_

He waits a little, and without getting a reply, begins typing another text.

 _Hullo?_

He checked his phone for a reply when it vibrated in his pocket.

 _Max: Srry. Running late. Insane day._

Warren couldn't help but feel worried, but he knew Max would want him to let her handle it her way. He laughed at the thought of her scolding him for fretting over something that may not even be a big deal. His fingers flew frantically on the onscreen keyboard.

 _Ill meet you in the lot._

 _Looking cool._

 _You'll see._

 _Max: My camera will be ready. See you shortly._

 _I hope so._

Warren still couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. He heaved a sigh of consternation, his back arching backwards, a slight smile perched at the corners of his lips as he glanced towards passersby.

 _Goddamit. Why am I so on edge? So what, Max is taking a little longer than usual?_ _She's.._

Warren's eyes closed shut like a window almost involuntarily, searching for the right word to describe Max and bring a sense of closure to his feelings.

 _Max is beautiful, smart, cute, funny, charming, geeky... too good of a girl for me, that's for sure._

Warren checked the time again on his phone, each second silently ticking in his head, but rather then worry about that, he decided to think of something more enjoyable and useful.

 _Alright, so this is how it will go. Max approaches us, and I introduce her to the WAR MACHINE, my badass ride! And from there, she falls in love with my wheels, I show her inside, and tell her about the drive-in theater, she says she'll go with me, and there, we'll share a kiss, sealing our fate as the happiest geeky couple alive._

Warren's mouth was salivating more than usual, a wide smile stretched across his face. Although, he suddenly blinked out of it, sighing as he hasn't been able to break his habit of daydreaming. The worse part is, he knew it wasn't anything remotely plausible.

 _All I usually do is follow Max's lead in the conversation and make sure to do nothing to make her hate me. But hey, not that I'm complaining, one step at a time._

After what feels like an eternity later, Warren takes out his phone to send her another text.

 _I don't mind waiting for here forever._

 _I love this parking lot._

 _I can count all the cars..._

Seconds later, Max replies.

 _Max: The more I txt the longer it takes. On my way._

 _Bye_

Warren smiled enthusiastically the moment he saw Max walk down the steps. It was his time to shine, to impress her with his geeky knowledge and new ride. After talking to Juliet and approaching him, he laughed it up with her, but... something was off. Max wasn't the same carefree hippy girl he knew, something changed her.

That's when it happened. That punk Nathan walked over to them. His gut shot upwards into my chest, his hands shaking slightly out of fear, but he tried to act tough. Yet, Nathan just glanced over him and pushed him out of the picture.

 _You did not just do that you.. you..._

Warren bit his lip and held back on any foul language he could've thrown Nathan's way. It wasn't right, and maybe, he didn't even mean to cause trouble. That was, until he saw him getting too close to Max's personal space and threatening her.

"Get away from her, dude!" Warren exclaimed, taking a step forward and tapping his arm.

From there, everything happened so quickly, as he was headbutted in the face and toppled backwards, losing his balance. His hands immediately clutched his face in pain. As he laid there on the ground, hearing him hurt Max and not respect her boundaries, it, well... pissed him off. He staggered up, got his balance, and walked around to the other side of Nathan. That's when Warren saw a car approach at the perfect time, seemingly a friend of Max's.

"Go, go! I got this!" Warren collided with Nathan, bringing him down. Within seconds, Warren was already regretting that decision, as he felt his face being punched and the throbbing pain was only growing stronger. That's when he heard Nathan get up and begin kicking the truck door.

"Get your punk asses out of there now! Don't even try to run! Nobody messes with me! NOBODY!" Nathan yelled at the top of lungs, visibly distraught as the car pulls out of the lot and onto the road.

At that point, Warren had pushed himself up off the ground and was sitting down. In his peripheral view, he saw David Madsen, the campus security guard, begin jogging over to them.

"What the hell happened here!?" David shouted out to them, seeing as Warren was on the floor and Nathan was still breathing heavily, his body language displaying his hostility.

The second he said that, Nathan, as if by reflex, jerks his body quickly to face him. His face is scratched up from Max freeing herself from his grasp, and his eyes have a wild-look to them, like an animal pinned in a corner and fighting for dear life.

"That's it! Both of you are goi-.."

"Sir, with all due respect, relax. Nathan and me were walking together, and some car nearly hit us and caused us to fall on our asses!" Warren cut off David, laughing awkwardly like a student would after mistakenly admitting he didn't study for a test. David simply looked at him questioningly, one eyebrow raised as he took a step closer while maintaining eye contact.

"No, really! We didn't get a good look at the car, but one of Nathan's fears is getting ran over, so you know..." He continued looking at Madsen, then slowly readjusted his posture, looking out to the fields of grass and birds flocking to his right.

Madsen grunted uneasily, apparently taken aback by Warren's calm, casual demeanor despite thinking something greater was to come of this. He then shifted his eyes towards Nathan, who looked less shocked, but still a hint of surprise lingered on his face.

"Nathan? You confirm that everything this student says is true, yes?" Madsen's voice was firm with authority. Nathan's face seemed to go through a collage of emotions all within a split second. Although, he quickly straightened out before speaking.

"He told the truth." Nathan replied coldly, yet, his voice showed no sign of a lie.

"Hmph." David Madsen turned his back to them, taking a look around the vicinity. He turned back, looking at the two of them, sighing.

"Stay out of trouble kids, god knows we have enough as is.." With that, he took slow, calculated steps away from the scene, going back towards Blackwell's front campus.

Seconds turn into minutes, which feel like hours, as the two boys simply sit there, not looking at each other, but there's a tension between them. Perhaps it has to do with the ecstatic point that the two of them got off the hook with campus security. It made Warren feel good about himself, knowing that despite being a geek, he was able to persuade David there wasn't a problem. But still, why go through the trouble anyway?

 _Do I somehow feel... sympathy, for Nathan? I only protected Max and myself, he would've got the brunt of the blame. But.. it felt wrong to think of doing that to him._

"Hey, Graham." Nathan spoke casually, the voice coming closer than Warren was comfortable with. He blinked a few times, his submersion into his thoughts causing him to lose focus, as he sees Nathan, hands in pocket, looking down at him. Warren pushed himself up off the ground, staggering slightly, brushing the dirt off his pants.

"What's up?" Warren said, a small grin glued to his face.

"I don't need your help. Better yet, go fuck yourself." Nathan's face gave way to a light smirk, circling around on his heels to face Blackwell's campus. He began walking away, the calm, repetitive sound of his shoes hitting the ground echoing through Warren's mind.

 _I helped this rich dick, and he thinks he's entitled enough tell me to fuck myself?_

Warren began walking quickly towards Nathan, his pace increasing with every step. Nathan didn't seem to notice or pay any mind, walking like he had been, as he was nearing the steps to go up to the front campus. Warren grabbed his forearm, pulling him back before he could.

"What the fuck are you doing!?" Nathan shouted angrily, pulling his arm out of Warren's grasp.

"I think I deserve a thank you, Nathan. After all, I did save you back there." He said with a smile.

"I think you deserve a fuck you, as a matter of fact, fuck you! Get off my back, Gayram, or else." Nathan pulled his gaze away from Warren forcefully, before continuing up the steps so that he can go to the dormitories. Once he reached the top of the steps, Warren yelled out at him.

"Or else? Or else what!?"

Nathan paused for a moment. Whatever went on within that head of his, Warren had no idea. But whatever it was Nathan thought of, he decided not to say it, and continued walking away.

Without turning back, he continued on walking, the similar sound of his shoes hitting the cement parroting in Warren's head.

 _Guess it's Detective Graham time._


	2. The Call

After his encounter with Nathan, Warren sulkily dragged himself back to his dorm room, locked the door, and threw himself on his bed. His eyes were puffy from reconsidering his actions and what the consequences may be, and more than anything, Warren wished to have a calm, relaxing nap to soothe his thoughts.

 _Well... I did save Max. Why do I feel such an intense feeling of self-doubt then.._

Warren took out his phone, taking a picture of himself and texting Max with a grin. They exchanged a few texts, and Warren was genuinely curious as to what she was to say to him in the parking lot when they were rudely interrupted.

 _Fuck me, right? Goddamn Nathan.. making me look like a fool in front of Max_

Warren's thoughts melted together like warm broth and chicken, and slowly muddied his former beliefs on his actions helping Max. Did he really help? Was Max actually grateful and was he even needed? Is Warren just a nuisance? Irrational thoughts like these surfaced yet, Warren simply tilted his head back, his thoughts slowly subsiding, the adrenaline from his encounter with Nathan becoming nothing more than his normal state. And just like that, he drifted into nothingness.

Not long later, Warren jumped awake, startled. He had work to get done, so he grabbed his laptop, and hurriedly jogged over to Ms. Grant's class to work in quiet and peaceful bliss of her empty classroom. Once he got there, he settled down, placing his laptop on a desk in the back and getting straight to work.

 _That stressful straight A student life, gotta keep it up yo_

Warren began putting the initial format in place for his essay. When, curiously, he slowly twisted his head to look outside the window, and what he saw shocked him.

 _Snowing... in October, on a warm day..!? What's going on._

After taking a few seconds to think ramifications the weather may cause, Warren shook his head and decided it was best to get back to work. His fingers worked their magic on the keyboard, flying around at amazing speed, as he began typing up a conclusion on chemical reactions and how different elements properties determine what'll happen when they meet. He didn't even look at the screen, simply closing his eyes and letting his mind do the work. Warren quickly reached the point which he was putting the final touches on his conclusion.

Warren inserted the last period in his essay, and shut his laptop, walking briskly out of the classroom, curious as to what's the cause of the abnormal weather phenomenon. His palms were clamp with sweat, and he tried not to show the worry feeling building up behind his quirky facade. If he can find anything involving why the weather is acting the way it is, great, otherwise, he's more than happy to be able to watch the original 'Night of the Living Dead' another time.

Warren was jingling his door keys, walking into the hall of the male dormitory. He had a grin on his face thinking of the flesh-eating zombies appearing from behind boarded up windows, grabbing unsuspecting survivors. Upon reaching his dorm door, Warren was casually about to unlock the door and go about his day, when suddenly, he heard a loud commotion in the room behind him.

 _Nathan.. I nearly forgot all the events earlier today due to the weather_

Warren hesitated, and rather than continue to go into his dorm room, made a 180 and slowly crept up to Nathan's door. He wasn't doing anything bad, really. Out of curiosity for Nathan's well-being, he was genuinely interested in learning the nature of the conservation he was having. Yeah, that works.

 _"_ FUCKING LEAVE ME ALONE! Shit, just throw some more money at him, like you always do." Nathan's voice was cold and came out harshly, the way only someone who'd experienced far too many afflictions than should would speak. It was obvious whoever he was on the phone with was someone who Nathan didn't get along well with, and Nathan didn't try to make it seem otherwise.

".. okay, okay, I'm sorry, alright? Just let me handle this my way." Without another word, Nathan hung up his phone.

Warren coughed, clearing his throat nervously. He didn't quite think through what his next actions would consist of, and so, he stood there awkwardly for a few more seconds.

 _Okay, here goes nothing_

Warren knocked on the door 3 times quickly, and firm enough so that Nathan would definitely be able to hear.

"Who's there?" Nathan shouted, the agitation seeming to flood out the door and cling to Warren's body, suffocating him, pressuring him to back off.

Warren was done backing off.

"A... friend, I'm just here to talk, alright?" Warren said calmly, looking forward doubtfully as though he was looking through the door at an unsatisfied Nathan.

Much to his surprise, the door came swinging open.


	3. Movie Time

Warren's vision tunneled forward, his forehead beginning to throb with the start of a headache. His stomach turned to butterflies, and he didn't know what to expect of Nathan's reaction.

What seemed to occur for Warren in slow-motion soon became reality. Standing under the doorway was Nathan, his eyes drooping low and his hair ruffled like someone who'd just woken up.

Seconds pass, but Warren was too awestruck to speak. "Are you gonna talk? I don't got the time for this shit Gayram," Nathan swung the door, although something stopped it just as it was about to click shut.

A hand clung to the edge of the door frame, nearly getting crushed. "I'm worried about you, Nathan," Warren spoke gently.

"Worried? I don't need your fucking pity," Nathan's voice sounded frigid and hostile.

"I overheard your phone call and, I sympathize with you, not in a bad way, but well..." Warren paused, his eyes drifting past Nathan's face and into his room. "I want to get to know you better."

Nathan scrunched his face, leaning forward to bridge the gap between him and Warren. "Do you think this is some type of fucking joke, or whateverthefuck?"

"No, I don't. I don't know you Nathan, but," Warren took a small step forward as well, his face close to Nathan's, the male's warm breath flowing down his neck causing him to tingle with an odd satisfaction. "In the morning, when I helped you, you said or else. I didn't know what you meant then, and to be quite honest, I still don't. But, what I do know is, that short time we spent together.. it made me think, that you and I, despite being from two different parts of the school... aren't really too different at all."

Nathan didn't break eye contact with Warren the entire time he was speaking, although, Warren's words made him feel unusual. He shuffled back and forth on the balls of his feet, not knowing what to say, but then his expression turned grim.

"Not too different? Me, and the biggest geek in Blackwell?" Nathan chuckled loudly, but after a few seconds of silence, his expression melded into seriousness. "What the hell do you, Warren Gayram, think is similar between us?"

Warren's heart felt broken, defeated. He didn't come all this way just for Nathan to turn him away, no way. He looked past Nathan, past their conversation, and picked up on something he otherwise wouldn't of noticed. "Looking into your room, I see you playing Night of the Living Dead, a classic that paved the way for zombie movies that came after it."

Nathan looked shock for a moment, but quickly returned to his lax self.

"You.. know about that movie too? Shit, you nerds really do know all." Nathan remarked, a hint of approval in his voice.

Warren smiled widely, like a kid who gets to check out the new games when shopping with mom. "I'm a movie freak, Nathan. Speaking of which, that projector rig of yours looks sweet. Mind if I check it out?"

"No."

"Pretty please Nathan? I swear, I won't break anything," Warren looked at Nathan, then towards his room, while giving him the puppy dog eye treatment.

Nathan looked hesitant, like he was about to reject. Then, he sighed. "Ah shit, fuck it. Go ahead, do your whatever you.. nerds do," Nathan said while slowly returning to his room.

"YES! Trust me, you won't regret this!" Warren followed him into his room, closing the door.

Warren walked towards Nathan's projector, appearing to be quite giddy with excitement, looking back and forth from it and the movie being shown.

"The quality is superb, is that the newest edition of t-.."

"Blah blah blah, cut it with the nerd shit, else I'm kicking you out," Nathan spitted out as he took a seat and leaned back on his bed.

"My bad, I got carried away..." Warren rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, before walking towards Nathan's set of DVDs, mainly horror, but a few stuck out that were Warren's favorites.

"Wow, you really have it all. Even the one with the robot monkeys that take over the world?" Warren grinned.

"Yeah, well, we all have interests at some point," Nathan huffed out, appearing to grow annoyed.

Warren then walked towards his dresser, and surprisingly, the clothes he'd thrown near it were the type that wouldn't scream "rich boy" or anything. Although, the unabating silence was driving Warren's thought cycle, making him feel slightly anxious as a result. Not to mention the photography he'd seen pinned to Nathan's cabinets were quite unnerving in nature, and seemed to plummet him further in the darkness which was now surrounding him. Although, Warren didn't feel afraid. Rather, he felt a prodding inquisitiveness build up within him, and he wished to know more. He needed Nathan to leave the room, it was the only way to learn more about him, who he is, and what makes him act the way he does. It may be able to bring the two of them closer together.

Warren randomly selected a movie and pulled it out of its spot. "Nathan, this movie is great!"

"What's your review on it? Personally, I would rate it 8.5/10, but just because of the fa-"

"Do you ever fucking shut up? Fuck man, I'm gonna go take a piss," Nathan interrupted, as he stiffly got up and exited his room a moment afterward.

As soon as Warren could hear Nathan's step echoing in the hallway, he got to work. He leaped towards Nathan's computer, and, easily enough, it was unlocked. Within seconds, Warren was looking at archives of photos, some quite horrid and frightening, others just plain weird. Photos of smiling skulls overlaid until it forms a bigger skull, dead whales lying on a beach.

 _How does this help, think, Warren! Find something useful!_

Warren quickly clicked onto his open window and looked at the tabs. From there, he pulled up Nathan's e-mail and looked to find anything. Right off the bat, an e-mail from Kristine Prescott, which Warren automatically assumed to be Nathan's sister, was the first of which he'd seen. It seemed important to Nathan then, and the e-mail itself gave a great first impression to Warren of her character. She seemed funny, nice, outgoing. A good influence somebody Nathan needed, but still, how'd she end up away from home? And, while the e-mail itself was sent in good-nature, how does Nathan perceive it?

While quickly checking through his recent e-mails, it only made Warren feel worse. The video of Kate was rude and uncalled for, and shouldn't have even been recorded, nonetheless posted online. Warren quickly exited off the computer, and opened a nearby drawer that would've been too awkward to go into before. Looking through a few random pictures, he saw something that made his heart drop. A picture of a drugged-up Chloe lying on the floor.

 _Fuck fuck fuck. I knew Nathan was bad, but.. this?_

Warren bit his lip, putting the photos back and closing the drawer. Thankfully, right in time, as the sound of footsteps approaching the door became louder. He gently sat down on Nathan's bed, leaning back like Nathan had, trying to fake his interest in the movie. But really, Warren's mind was racing like a rocket ship, only that his thoughts weren't cohesive, rather, jumbled up and colliding in a vague effort to make sense of things. His eyes fell low, and locked onto the one thing that gave him some rationale for Nathan's actions. His medication, scattered pill containers, and alcohol.

Nathan walked through the door loudly, a smug look on his face due to conversating with friends of his. He stood in the doorway for a second, waiting for Warren to react, to say something, anything. Rather, the ensuing silence shrouded them, one waiting for the other's next move. Moments pass before, finally, Nathan begins moving.

He took a seat beside Warren. "So, got what you wanted? I need my sleep so I don't bitch like hell, so please don't take offense when I say, fuck off," The blue-eyed boy stared intently at Warren.

"Nathan. I know I don't know you that well, and it's stupid that I'm barely taking the chance but," Warren paused, his heart pounding like it was ready to burst. As hard as it was, Warren looked up at Nathan, his eyes locking with the boy he was once insanely afraid of. "I want to get to know you better. I'm an awkward geek, everybody knows it, I don't have many friends, and when I'm with you I f-"

"Sorry, time's up. If you want more Nathan time, pay up." Nathan walked to and stood next to his door, his hand beckoning for Warren to leave.

Warren was surprised, but not as much as he'd thought he'd be. Rather, he accepted the fact that him and Nathan would be a work-in-progress. Once he started walking to exit the room, every step proved surprisingly painful. Nathan's room was sort of a sanctuary to him, somewhere he felt safe, and now, getting to know Nathan, the scary wolf that was once on the brink of blowing his house down. It turned out he was misunderstood in every aspect. His actions, what he says, how he looks. As Warren walked past Nathan to leave his room, his eyes looked towards him. Whether it was sheer imagination or a fabrication from his own desires, Warren wasn't sure. Although, from what he could see, Nathan had a genuine smile painted across his face, the type of smile that makes you stop and stare at it, and wish that you had a smile that great.

 _I'm going to be back, Nathan_

And next time, I'll be saying it.


	4. One Thing

Warren was waiting outside the dorms for Max's arrival, anticipating her reaction from the day before. They had a brief meeting, and he felt compelled to ask her if she wanted to "Go Ape!" with him. She agreed, and so, the date was set. Surprisingly enough, it also turned out that Nathan had reason to be mad at Max, after all, snitches get stitches, right?

After Max left, Warren was sauntering around, taking in the sights of the students and their daily routines. He soon arrived to the front campus, where what he saw caused his heart to drop. He saw Nathan speaking to campus security, David Madsen. Warren's feet became frozen in place, his eyes dilating as he struggled to focus on them. His palms grew clammy, but forcefully, he pushed himself to a nearby tree and leaned against it.

 _Could David Madsen be instigating our encounter yesterday in the parking lot?_

Warren clenched his fist out of anger, and automatically stepped out of the shade of the tree and out in the open. Everything suddenly became a blur, and his actions became natural. He took long, calculated steps towards Nathan and David Madsen, his eyes stoic and unrevealing of his actual feelings. Before Warren knew it, he was standing alongside Nathan.

"That wasn't my fault! Give me a break here, that gun incident was just a-" He paused suddenly, feeling Warren's presence alongside him. Nathan had mixed emotions, it wasn't that he was happy nor mad, more like he was caught off-guard without the proper knowledge on how to react.

Luckily, Warren helped him out. "Madsen, if this is about yesterday, give it a break, I stand by what I said and I can assure you there will be no problemos!" Warren said reassuringly, his eyes drifting towards Nathan. Nathan's eyes looked cold, although a hint of surprise lingered on his expression.

David Madsen grunted, looking towards Warren. "What, you two best friends that I never knew about? Well then, can you assure me that this 'student' will stay out of trouble, Mr. Graham?"

"Definitely. Also, I prefer Detective Graham." He smirked. David Madsen shook his head in teen disappointment, turning around and walking away.

As soon as he turned around, Warren turned to Nathan and gave a more genuine, wider smile, his thumbs perked upwards in an act of glee.

Nathan didn't look at him, he was frozen in place. Moments pass, the world passing by them. Although, it seemed for them, time had stopped ticking, and they were frozen in place. Without a word, Nathan slowly walked away from Warren, going towards the main hall.

"HEY! Wait up!" Warren jogged quickly to catch back up with Nathan, slowing down as he approached his right shoulder. As he did, he noticed that Nathan was, out of nervousness, clicking his fingers together rapidly. Warren looked at him worriedly, although, it didn't help that Nathan began walking faster to avoid having him by his side.

 _What's his deal all of a sudden? Did I do something wrong?_

Warren waited until Nathan walked past the restroom, and as he did, grabbed his arm and pulled him in. "Nathan, what's wrong? You can tell me."

Nathan's hand began shaking harder, going from clicking to just general spasms. Warren's eyes were filled with concern, as he bit his lip, wondering why Nathan is suddenly acting as if yesterday's events were a figment of his imagination.

 _No way one of the best days of my life is not real!_

Nathan, almost as if picking up on Warren's thoughts, suddenly jerked back to life. He twisted towards Warren, his hot breath flooding out of his mouth and hitting Warren's face.

"Nathan, if this is about yesterday, it was one of the best days of my life. I was hoping we can, you know, learn more about each other..." Warren rubbed his neck awkwardly as he said the last part, his eyes wandering to the floor.

"Look at me."

Warren's heart skipped a beat, his clammy, nervous behavior almost seeming to return with that sudden shock. His eyes, almost as if forced by an outside entity, drifted upwards. He saw Nathan, his eyes glossy, as though if he was pushed he may break into tears. His posture was straighter, and his face reflected his feeling of uncertainty. Although, another side to this was the ecstasy that Nathan felt from Warren being there for him, his own heart also skipping a beat whenever Warren looked at him.

"I'm sorry, Warren. I'm a bad friend, hell, bad person. I have a dark past, you know? It's difficult for me to be.. normal." Nathan's eyes skipped between Warren and all parts of the restroom, his effort to make eye contact noticed.

"Normal? Nathan," Warren looked at him, then cracked a smile. "Fuck being normal man, just be you, be natural, be..." He paused, looking for the right word.

"Be what?"

Warren bit his tongue.

 _What was I going to say? Shit, I lost my flow_

It came back to him.

"Nathan, when I thought you were ignoring me back there, I was really worried about how things were going with you, or, between us. I can only ask one thing from you."

"Which is?" Nathan looked inquisitively at Warren, casually leaning against a bathroom stall with a raised eyebrow.

"Be here. Like you are now."


	5. Moving Past

Warren and Nathan had to separate after their encounter due to classes, although decided they'd see one another later on. Warren took some time out of the day by talking to various classmates of his, and gathering their opinions on the current environmental changes. It'd be done like some sort of survey, only that Warren was the only one on the receiving end of the information, and using it to constantly revise his hypotheses and ideas about a subject. Not long after, Warren mosied over to his science class, and got hard at work. He finished several questions about chemical reactions and how different substances, when mixed, can created radically different products. Although, at one point he found himself dumbfounded, and couldn't figure out the proper combination he needed to experiment with.

Gladly, Warren got the help he needed, as his friend Max arrived just in time to help him. Whenever with Max, he felt at ease, and his heart still tugged him towards her, strengthening his innate response towards being attracted to a geeky, cute, like-minded girl similar to himself. Although, after meeting Nathan, it was as if a completely different chemical was introduced, and the product was indecisive. Day in and day out, Warren seemed to find himself more at a loss of words than ever before, but, he continued putting a mask on for everyone else. It's better they think of him as a basic, funny geek, not some complicated anxious nerd with growing feelings for Nathan Prescott.

After finishing up, he went over to Mr. Jefferson's classroom, although, on the way, he caught Kate puffy eyed and in dismay.

 _What asshole gave her trouble now? I gotta talk to Max about this_

He was walking through the door when, he froze abruptly.

 _Fuck.. Nathan is here too, chatting it up with Victoria_

Suddenly, his legs felt stiff, and, forcefully, he managed to edge forward. His thoughts were pricking the back of head, but thankfully, he managed to push them away. He decided not to act any differently to Nathan out in the open like they were, his rationale being that their current friendship was best to be kept under wraps. After all, how would everyone perceive the rich boy and nerd of Blackwell becoming close?

 _Nathan wouldn't want me to bug him out in the open anyway, definitely not now_

He relaxed, positioning himself on the corner of Max's desk and having a pleasant conversation. Although, he was still worried about Kate's well-being. Not long after, Mr. Jefferson made them leave the classroom. Warren walked off, but seeing as he felt Nathan behind him, he grew nervous imagining how he still regarded him. Was he a traitor for talking to Max? Is there a possibility he would've wanted Warren to pay some sort of attention to him? Warren mentally slapped himself, disregarding his thoughts as doing nothing more than holding him back.

As soon as Warren made it back to class, feeling insanely bored and not wanting to listen to more lectures, all the students began flooding outside. Warren was curious as to what the commotion was all about, so he to decided to follow the crowd of students all going together. When he made it to the front of the dorms, where everybody else was, he was immediately hit with a wave of panic and shock. He saw Kate on top of the dorm roof.

 _Who the hell left the roof unlocked!?_

Warren stood a few feet away from Nathan, and comforted Alyssa due to her shaking and nearly having a breakdown. Nathan's expression was strange, unreadable, and Warren couldn't make sense of it. Not only that, but it was odd, because that one moment felt long and drawn out, as if somebody stopped time, causing everyone to witness a nearly unforgettable and terrifying incident appear right before their eyes. Warren pushed aside these thoughts as nothing more than nerves and adrenaline, but still, he can't help but ask. What if?

When Kate turned around on the roof, everyone felt a wave of relief, a light at the end of the darkness, a chance that she'll get off the roof safely.

 _Whoever that had made it up there in time was a hero, that's for sure_

Alyssa regained her composure, sniffling, but at least hopeful.

"God, I hope she realizes how beautiful she is inside and out and how many people care about her, please step off," Alyssa said mournfully, dabbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

Warren looked at her, smiling. "I have a feeling she will Alyssa, she's one of the strongest people I've met. Give me a moment." He stepped away from her, and began slowly approaching Nathan's side. When he did, he stood silently, allowing him to speak first.

Nathan turned towards Warren, his face sulking, his eyes drained of life, his lips twitching ever so slightly. Yet, despite all this, he smiled. It shook Warren's insides, and made him feel all mushy. At the same time, it brightened the surrounding mood significantly, as if to say "we'll make it out of this."

"Warren, why do you come to me time and time again?" The boy's blue eyes locked onto Warren's, not giving him a moment of thought, rather, forcing him to speak what he felt, right then and there.

"Why? Well shit, ain't it obvious?" Warren laughed, inching closer to Nathan. "I like being around you Nathan, and... I don't know, I felt from the moment I first saw you that yesterday, there's something about you," He paused, Nathan's finger putting a stop to his words.

"I always saw myself as one narcissistic, hateful, stubborn piece of shit. But you make me feel... crap, I don't know. Alive?" Nathan paused, his hand touching the back of his neck.

The two of them looked up as everyone began clapping. Kate stepped off of the roof, and David Madsen ran up to go help them get down and get Kate the help she needed. It was a happy moment, but still, something was off. The air was heavy, as if impeding gloom was eminent. Suddenly, Nathan turned to him.

"I'm likely going to be pulled in to the principal's office for this, no doubt about that. But, don't worry about me okay? I'll be fine." He looked hopeful, and his words gave off a sense of security.

Warren felt a pool of worry building up inside him, but steeled himself for Nathan. "Things are really getting crazy around here Nathan, just.. stay safe, okay?"

Nathan turned towards him, their bodies getting closer to each other. He bit the inside of his lip as his expression grew serious. For Warren, there was no question as to Nathan's mettle and will to persevere, and now, Warren would make sure that he'd have somebody to depend on other than himself.

Nathan spoke hurriedly in a quiet tone as if it was the last time they'd see each other. "I've got to talk to you later, about.. everything. I've been holding some things back, but I feel like you would understand."

Before Warren had a chance to respond, say something, anything, David Madsen called for him. Nathan followed him at his heel, and just like that, the day resumed.


	6. Living Future

Warren sat beside Max, exhausted after a long day. They talked about the weather, the unusual events, and what it all meant. One thing was for certain, and it was that Blackwell was in for one hell of a ride. He looked up in disbelief, an eclipse of the sun taking place, a cool, yet unnerving breeze causing his skin to prickle with goosebumps.

He scooted next to Max, keeping her close in an attempt to shield her from the cold. No matter what, he'd keep her safe, her innocence was one in which Warren knew wholeheartedly. Although, his new friendship with Nathan would also lead him to feelings of protectiveness over him.

"Warren!? WARREN!" Max yelled.

Warren jumped suddenly. "H-huh? Sorry Max, dosed off for a sec there. What's up?"

Max eyed him suspiciously, "It's getting cold, I better get back to my dorm. Stay safe for me, okay?" She looked at him with tender eyes and a soft smile, as she began to walk away.

Warren stood frozen in place, his mind and body not in sync, and unsure of what to do next.

"MAX! Wait up!" She stopped, looking back at him with a surprised expression.

He stood beside her, her eyes looking up at him curiously. "Warren? What's wrong?"

Warren ran his hand through his hair, trying to act as casual as possible. "You saved Kate today Super Max. Everybody is calling you a hero!" He paused, "But, when you went to Principal Wells, just what happened?"

Her hand suddenly tightened around the strap of her bag, the tenseness of her body becoming easily noticeable for Warren.

 _Crap... did I pull a nerve? Was it too soon?_

She let out a long sigh, before beginning to speak. "I had a chance to blame David Madsen, Mr. Jefferson, or Nathan. To be painfully honest, I don't see how I can blame Jefferson, I mean, how would you expect him to know how bad it was? And, Madsen is just security, I don't think it would be fair. I blamed Nathan, after all he was the one who drugg-"

Warren jerked upright suddenly, his body feeling rigid and unnatural. He suddenly felt as though he was falling backwards, becoming detached from his body, his fears and worries building up to this moment now.

 _Fuck, Nathan's probably going to get suspended, or worse, expelled, all because of Max. Why'd she have to blame him of all people, I thought she was smart, yet she couldn't figure out that he's troubled? **Stop it. You can't blame Max for this. She's doing her best dealing with things her own way, you selfish fuck, she saved Kate! She's a hero!** _

"Warren...?" Max looked at him worriedly, placing a hand on his forearm. "What's the matter? You can tell me, do you need help?"

Warren snapped back to life suddenly, almost smacking Max in the face in the process. "Excuse me, Max." He made a 180 and ran through the doors of the school's main hall, anything to get away from having Max explain to him the worst news he'd come across his entire time at Blackwell. He already knew how the conversation was going to go, and she couldn't let Max see him like this. His legs worked overtime, every step echoing in the halls. Although, this only reminded him of the first time they met, and the sound his shoes would make as he would walk away, the sound repeating endless through his mind.

 _We'll find a way around this Nathan... trust me buddy, I won't let this be the last time we meet_

He passed through the doors to get to the male dormitories, making quick work of the stairs to get up to the male dorms. He began to feel the wear and tear of all the intense running it'd taken to get to where he was. As a result, as Warren finally stopped at his door, stumbling to take out his keys, his legs wobbled, knocking him off his feet. His back crashed against the floor with a loud **THUD** but, surprisingly, no one in the other dorms stopped to check up on him. He laid there on the floor, his legs feeling sore, his feet likely covered in blisters due to the sweat-induced running he put them through. Yet, oddly enough, it felt... satisfying. The endorphins released from the exercise likely helped him feel this way, the pain from thinking of Nathan's punishment being numbed.

A hand was extended towards Warren, awaiting to help him up. "C'mon, I wasn't even gone that long."

Warren felt a bolt of electricity surge through his body, reanimating him. A wide grin spread across his face, his eyes locking onto his. Nathan stood there, a sly grin perched on his face, an undeniable swagger behind his posture. Despite whatever punishment he may have gotten, he still didn't let it drag him down. His smile gave off the feeling that nothing was wrong at all, that the two of them were simply old buds reunited. Warren grabbed his hand, Nathan effortlessly pulling him back to his feet.

"What's up, buttercup? Hope you ain't looking so shitty because of me?" Nathan's laugh echoed in the hallways of the dormitory.

Warren smiled awkwardly, although he felt intense happiness at being able to see Nathan again.

"I'm sorry, Nathan. I know you got expelled and all. I wish I did more to help b-"

Nathan looked at him humorously. "Expelled? I wish, I only got suspended. Well, actually, because of you this place may actually be worth returning to."

Warren's eyes lit up with joy. He'd been recognized by Nathan, and not only that, but he wasn't expelled! This was happy news to him, but still, Nathan's expression grew serious.

"It doesn't change the fact I'm suspended. I just came here to grab a few things, we can't talk for long."

"Oh..." Warren suddenly felt dumb, his expression drooping sadly as he looked down.

"Don't be upset over me." He stepped towards Warren, his hand lifting his chin up so they looked eye-to-eye, "I'll be fine, I promise."

Warren blushed, his eyes looking into Nathan's. While it felt right, it felt too sudden, and Warren took a step back. Nathan looked at him with his head cocked sideways.

"Sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to, like, come onto you like that. Listen, I've gotta tell you what I've been meaning to say."

Warren looked at him, his face solemn and backing up the intensity of his words. "What is it...?"

"Now, this may sound crazy, but trust me on this." Nathan tapped his leg as he spoke, his eyes looking at Warren fiercely. "A storm is coming to Arcadia Bay."


End file.
